Queens Park Rangers 1 Wigan Athletic 1: match report

Read a full match report of the Premier League game between Queens Park
Rangers and Wigan Athletic at Loftus Road on Sunday April 7 2013.

Striking it rich: Shaun Maloney struck a late equaliser for Wigan against QPRPhoto: PA

By Gordon Simpson

5:00PM BST 07 Apr 2013

This was a devastating result for Queens Park Rangers, with their manager Harry Redknapp declaring it the cruelest blow he has had to take in his football career.

QPR looked on course for a victory that would have rekindled their survival hopes, taking the lead late-on through Loïc Rémy’s sublime strike, despite playing most of the game with 10 men.

But Redknapp and his players were left crestfallen when Shaun Maloney planted a free-kick past Júlio César deep into added time, pushing them ever closer to the Championship.

Asked if there had been a tougher result to take all season, Redknapp said: “All season? No, not in my football career, never mind all season.” With six games left, QPR remain seven points adrift of safety.

While Redknapp would not definitively admit relegation is certain, his body language suggested there is little hope left. “It’s going to be hard now,” he said. “Of course it is. Three points today would have made a ­massive difference.” Asked how the players were feeling, the QPR manager said: “Low, the same as I am, very low.”

QPR made an encouraging start to their afternoon, with Rémy’s half-volley from 20 yards striking the outside of the post. But they faced a mountain to climb when Bobby Zamora was sent off midway through the first half. Despite the boos from the home crowd, there was no arguing with referee Phil Dowd’s decision. Zamora’s challenge on Jordi Gómez, with his foot so high that his studs crashed into the side of the Wigan player’s face, would have looked more at home in a martial arts movie than on the football pitch.

“I thought it was a sending off. It was a rash challenge,” Redknapp said. “He’s sorry, of course he is. Bobby’s a good lad.

“Having said that, it didn’t make that much difference. I think we would have beaten them with 11. They were bang average today. I think they are a good side but I’d be lying if I said they scared me today.”

Roberto Martínez described Zamora’s tackle on Gómez, which came as he received a throw in, as “shocking”. The Wigan manager said: “It’s unfortunate because I know Bobby Zamora is not a dirty player but the full boot is on Jordi Gómez’s face. His studs were at his eye level and unfortunately it was a red card. Jordi is OK. He was lucky the stud didn’t catch him in his eye.”

After an initial spell of pressure, however, Wigan were unable to make the extra man tell. QPR’s intense work rate helped to nullify the disadvantage, with the wing threat of Andros Townsend and the pace of Rémy up front posing a threat on the counter.

The one golden opportunity that Wigan were able to carve out, with substitute James McArthur afforded a free header from six yards after being picked out by Gómez’s cross, was repelled brilliantly by César. With time running out, QPR began pushing for a winner. Rémy headed just wide from Adel Taarabt’s delicious in-swinging cross, supplied with the outside of his right foot.

And the forward looked to have won it for QPR five minutes from time with a strike of astonishing quality.

After blocking a Wigan free kick, the home side broke through Stephane Mbia. He drove forward and released Rémy down the inside right channel. The Frenchman’s first-time side-footed shot flew past Wigan goalkeeper Joel Robles and into the far top corner.

Loftus Road went wild, as the crowd sensed a victory that could have had the potential to propel QPR towards a miraculous escape.

However, when Mbia fouled Maloney just outside the area deep into added time, Wigan were handed one last chance. Maloney took it, bending the ball over the wall and into the top corner.

There were suggestions that Taarabt had ducked to allow the ball past him, but Redknapp refuted those claims. “He didn’t duck, he jumped,” he said. “He jumped up in the air. He jumped and turned his head and it went past his head. If you look he’s the only one that’s jumping. I’m not going to blame Adel.”

While a point does nothing to help QPR, it is of some value to Wigan, although they will head into their FA Cup semi-final against Millwall next weekend still in the relegation zone, albeit on goal difference behind Sunderland.

Martínez said: “The sending-off affected us more than anything, you suddenly feel the responsibility of winning the game and the players took it too seriously.

“They didn’t enjoy their football at all, they were too pedestrian and we got cagey. But to get a positive result when everything is against us makes me extremely proud and allows us to go into the next seven games with something to learn.”